Chapter 99

Alex could clearly sense the tension between Lin Han and the reporters below. He didn't dare to let the British reporters continue asking questions and instead chose a black-haired, yellow-skinned reporter, thinking that a Chinese reporter asking questions would not cause too much trouble.

"Hello, Lin Han. I'm from Xinhua News Agency. As the third Chinese author to enter the Penguin Classics series, what do you think makes you better than the other authors? Why did a science fiction novel manage to surpass so many classic masterpieces and join the series? Do you have any secrets?"

This question was almost a direct accusation, suggesting that Lin Han might have used backdoor connections. Otherwise, how could a science fiction novel be placed alongside epic works like 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'? Chen Jiaxuan's face turned pale with anger; such internal conflict was inappropriate for the occasion.

This question piqued the interest of all the reporters present. The sharp question had come from Lin Han's compatriot.

Now, Lin Han had only one thought: he wished he could recite the poem "Why Are You So Urgent to Boil Each Other?" He took a deep breath and slowly said, "In fact, being included in the Penguin Classics series is a huge surprise. I never thought my book would be mentioned alongside Jules Verne's science fiction novels. I have no secrets; my only thought was to write a good book."

"In fact, the decision to include this book in the Penguin Classics series was mine," Alex calmly took the responsibility, which was also the truth.

Lin Han smiled, and the roles immediately switched. He teased, "So, what was your idea? Why did you choose a Chinese person's science fiction novel? Do you know how shocking that is? At first, I thought you were a scammer and even planned to report your phone number to Penguin Publishing."

The atmosphere on the scene eased slightly, thanks to Lin Han's humor, which reduced the tension.

Some things were not suitable for Lin Han to say, so Alex had to speak for himself.

"The Penguin Classics series has always been one of our group's most important lines. Choosing any book requires careful consideration. As Marie Curie once said, writers have nationalities, but works do not. We never link the selection of literary works to nationality. This book created a new science fiction world, and the Three Laws of Robotics have received high praise from many critics. It not only provided ideas for authors writing robot novels but also gave Hollywood more options and had some reference value for real-world robotics research."

Lin Han himself did not have such great abilities. The most important contribution of the book was the Three Laws of Robotics, and the other short stories also had some literary value.

Science fiction novels that could influence reality were rare, which made 'I, Robot' stand out and become a masterpiece in Alex's eyes.

Many reporters at the scene had not read the book, even though it had been available on Amazon for a long time, so they couldn't understand the true reasons.

After Alex and Lin Han answered two more questions, they ended the interview to avoid escalating the conflict.

Prior to this, Penguin Publishing Group had already promoted 'I, Robot' extensively online and offline, so many readers had come to the book fair specifically to buy the book.

While there is some overlap between the audiences for e-books and physical books, traditional reading remains very popular. They had heard about the book's reputation long ago but had been waiting because they were not used to reading on phones, iPads, or Kindles.

Now they could finally fulfill their dreams and get a signed copy from the author at the same price as in the bookstore, which was clearly more valuable.

A hundred freshly printed physical books were neatly arranged on the table. Lin Han glanced over and asked with some concern, "Are a hundred books a bit too many today? If they don't sell out, it will be embarrassing."

Chen Jiaxuan frowned and replied, "You need to have confidence in yourself. We can't let the reporters make a joke of us. If they don't sell, Penguin Publishing will lose face. How about we get some plants?"

The two were speaking in Chinese, and Alex couldn't understand a word. "Lin, we already have many readers asking. You can go to the other side and wait for a moment. Our staff will start selling soon. By the way, is there any problem with your signature?"

"I've practiced it, don't worry. By the way, can I sign in Chinese? That way, it will be more distinctive and unique."

"That's up to you. I support your decision. Good luck!"

Lin Han walked to a table on the side and sat down, twirling a marker in his hand. He then focused on the staff at the entrance of the exhibition hall.

The two staff members put up the 'Now Selling' sign, and the readers who had been waiting eagerly immediately rushed over, forming a queue to buy the books.

"Hey, buddy, can we buy it now? I've been waiting for almost an hour!" a young white man with a woolen hat said, trying to be friendly.

"Just an hour? I came here specially last night. These 100 books are for early sales; they will be available in other places tomorrow. I couldn't wait."

Another bespectacled otaku with a backpack stood quietly on the side. He didn't say much, but his eyes showed excitement. Science fiction and fantasy novels were always his favorites.

The readers who got the books slowly moved forward, paying one by one. £15 per book was not cheap, and there was no discount.

But they paid without hesitation, quickly coming to Lin Han, "Hi, I'm Leo. I really like your science fiction novel; it's amazing!"

Lin Han opened the book and signed his name in a flourish. "Do you know, you're my first reader for this book signing. It's very important to me."

"No way! You must be joking, I'm actually the first?" Leo was almost ecstatic. Getting the first signed book from an author's career brought him immense joy.

"I'm not kidding, Leo. May your life be wonderful every day." Lin Han added this message to the book, feeling equally happy to win over these foreign readers.

Thus, Lin Han slowly signed his name, and when he looked up, he saw a long queue forming at the booth, with dozens of people excitedly waiting for their signatures, including several yellow-skinned Asians!

The hundred books sold out almost effortlessly, and many more readers were still surrounding the staff, hoping they could get more stock urgently.

The London Book Fair was a grand event, and the bustling scene at the Penguin Publishing Group's booth clearly surpassed the others. Reporters from various countries couldn't help but come over out of curiosity to see what was happening and capture the scene with their cameras.

Thank you to the book friend "Guardian of Truth" for the generous donation. I will add an extra chapter after the release. I still owe a chapter to the book friend "Hi, Blue Sky," so there will be two extra chapters in total.

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